The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China has surpassed 1,000, with authorities reporting 1,003 deaths across the two countries as rescue teams continue searching for thousands of people still unaccounted for.
Nepal recorded the overwhelming majority of the deaths, with the country’s disaster management authorities reporting 987 fatalities as of Tuesday. A further 3,916 people remain missing, including 583 foreigners, according to the latest figures released by Nepalese authorities.
In China, authorities reported 16 deaths in their latest update issued Sunday, while 546 people remain missing, including 261 foreigners. Combined, the two countries have reported 4,462 people still unaccounted for following the disaster.
The figures bring the overall reported death toll to 1,003, although the number could rise as rescue teams reach areas that remain difficult to access and continue searching through communities affected by flooding, landslides and debris.
Nepalese authorities said at least 11,814 people have been rescued so far, while emergency teams continue operations in areas cut off after roads and bridges were destroyed. Authorities are particularly focused on locating hundreds of people missing from hydropower projects hit by the flash floods.
At least 900 workers are missing from 12 hydropower projects in Nepal, with around 500 believed to be trapped inside tunnels, according to the Nepalese army. Rescue teams, assisted by foreign experts, are searching blocked and debris-filled tunnels for survivors.
On the Chinese side, rescue operations are also continuing around the Gyirong Port border crossing, which was destroyed by the disaster. Search teams are using dogs and heavy machinery to look for survivors and clear access routes, as authorities continue efforts to determine the fate of hundreds of people still missing.
